Two in custody after storage break-ins

Police in Surf City are in the process of returning stolen items to residents following a three-week period of break-ins.

TABITHA CLARK - Daily News Staff

SURF CITY — Police in Surf City are in the process of returning stolen items to residents following a three-week period of break-ins.

Erik Lee Bisser, 23, and Brandon Scott Eason, 24, both of N.C. 50 in Surf City, were arrested and charged by the Surf City Police Department on Oct. 31 with several counts of breaking and entering and larceny.

Chief Mike Halstead of the SCPD said that the two allegedly “broke into a bunch of storage buildings and took furniture, televisions and other items.”

The officers did a canine track on the buildings, which led them back to a trailer where Bisser and Eason lived, according to Halstead. The men gave the officers permission to search the trailer where the stolen items were located, according to Halstead.

“These break-ins happened over a period of three weeks,” Halstead said.

Bisser is charged with 15 counts of felony breaking and entering, five counts of larceny after breaking and entering, 10 counts of attempted larceny and one count of drug paraphernalia. His bond is $125,000.

Eason is charged with 12 counts of felony breaking and entering and 12 counts of larceny after breaking and entering. His bond is $100,000.

Both men are currently in custody at the Pender County Jail.

Halstead wanted to remind coastal residents particularly in the off-season to keep tabs on their possessions, especially for those who may live out of state.

For storage buildings, “make sure you have a secure, heavy lock, not one you can cut with bolt cutters,” he said. He also recommended having a friend in the area check on the building from time to time.

The Surf City Police Department also offers a service called “Cottage Watch” for those who own houses in the area.

“Officers go out twice a day, morning and evening shift, to check the residence,” Halstead said. Officers can check utility bills to make sure no one is using water or electricity in the home while owners are gone. They will also check to see if there are any neighbors who are full-time residents and can alert police to any suspicious activity.

The “Cottage Watch” service is free to the public. For more information or to get a form for “Cottage Watch,” contact the Surf City Police Department at 910-328-7711.

Contact Daily News Reporter Tabitha Clark at 910-219-8454 or Tabitha.Clark@jdnews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @TabithaLClark or friend her on Facebook.